Mexican budget carrier Viva Aerobus plans US IPO

Budget airline Grupo Viva Aerobus SAB is planning a US IPO as soon as this year, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The Mexico City-based carrier is working with Barclays, Goldman Sachs Group and JPMorgan Chase & Co. on a listing, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. With coronavirus vaccines continuing to be rolled out globally, the resumption of travel has boosted airline stocks. The Bloomberg World Airlines Index has risen 7.1% this year and is up 41% from a year ago. Viva is now Mexico’s third-largest airline by passengers, according to May travel data, the latest available. In the domestic market alone, Viva Aerobus has surpassed legacy carrier Grupo Aeromexico SAB, which is dealing with a Chapter 11 filing. The airline said in a statement this month that its passenger count in the first five months of the year rose 35% to 1.34 million from the same period last year, topping pre-pandemic levels.<br/>